Phoenix

I would have to say that Phoenix was the best mini-series ever committed to television.I must have watched it a million times and still find it invigorating as when i first watched it,with it's grainy vision and halting camera work this was not just another cop show,but at true piece of television magic.A member of my wife's family personally knows the technical adviser for the series and i have been able to glean many facts regarding this fantastic series.It is a shame that it can't be purchased on DVD as my copies on VHS are becoming well worn,and considering i had to place an ad in the herald sun to find someone who could let me purchase a copy it must be hard for the fans to keep hold of the memories.Hopefully someone at the ABC will have the good sense to re-release this as a box set on DVD,and keep the memories fresh for a long time to come.

Of all the TV series I have watched - which include most western productions (including American and British) - this is by far the best. Brilliant direction, acting, cinematography and editing. The storyline, while based on an actual event where two police officers are killed by a bombing, is just outstanding. It is uncontrived, honest and so real that you can just feel it. In my humble opinion there can be little doubt that this series is, to date, the zenith of television production in Australia - and the equal of anything in the world (and that says a lot coming from a New Zealander!).

The only disappointment is that this series has never got the awards and critical acclaim outside of Australia that it deserved. While this series was produced in 1992, it is only being matched in quality by series produced a decade later. Current series that come close to the quality of Phoenix include "Criminal Intent" and "Special Victims Unit".

I'm over the moon. The ABC has finally released the first season of "Phoenix" as a box set and it has just arrived. I have waited for this moment for years and after watching the first episode I now recall what made this series the cop drama benchmark that it truly is.

The story, which was based on a real-life bombing, actually moved along quite slowly but each hour went by so quickly that it seemed like a few minutes. Every character was fleshed out and whole, even those with small parts. Looking back, it is astonishing that the whole series is concerned with the investigation of one major crime. It was totally absorbing and so very life like. It was the first that compelled me to watch it every week. All other TV dramas I could miss a week or two, but Phoenix was mandatory viewing as far as I was concerned.

This is one of the finest series I've seen. Concentrating on the main thread, each episode has different themes, which all come together at the end. Brilliant! Sadly, the second series went off the rails and, yet again, they killed off great potential. Worth anyone watching - you need to watch carefully, but it's so gripping that's no problem.

I have only seen 'Phoenix' as a repeat (currently been shown @ 11pm Monday nights on ABC). I thought that the first series was brilliant, but on Monday, the second series premiered. I noticed that Paul Sonkila and Andy Anderson were among the notable absentees - obviously as officers-in-charge of the Major Crime Squad, they were held accountable for the many complaints regarding the bomb investigation. It now seems that Phoenix has lost its first series quality. Am I reading to much into the first episode, or were Sonkila, Anderson and others smart enough to get off a sinking ship?